


He'll Be Better

by daymaedoo



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Parent Tony Stark, Tony Stark Has A Heart, idk her, newsflash: tony isnt howard, pepper just wants tony to do a little self care honestly, the snap DIDNT HAPPEN, tony doesnt want to be howard, whats tagging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-18 01:12:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16107671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daymaedoo/pseuds/daymaedoo
Summary: After coming to a standstill in his experimentation, Tony records a message for Peter





	He'll Be Better

**Author's Note:**

> ayyy first mcu post bc we love this shit. but i was watching (i think it was) iron man 2 and there was that scene where howard was trying to record some promo video and he got shitfaced but told tony that he was actually worth something and i was inspired.  
> check out my mcu tumblr: @sopeteriskindacool

If anyone asked, Tony would adamantly deny that he looked forward to Fridays like a child looked forward to Christmas. Lab days with the kid always made something in him soften just enough that he found a small smile pulling at his lips against his better judgement. He’d roll his eyes and bitch and moan whenever Rhody brought it up, but when push came to shove- which it often did- Tony couldn’t help but favor the true good what was Peter. He’d never met anyone with such a sunny disposition except maybe his own mother.

The soft curiosity that Pete always had, the need to always help someone- anyone, well Tony reasoned that he could wrap anyone around his finger.

And not only was the kid just generally kind, but he was smart too. He was so much smarter than Tony was at his age, and back then, he’d just used his knowledge to get ahead in life. All he’d worried about was getting into MIT. Peter though? That kid was in the most prestigious high school in New York and was blazing through his classes with time to spare and instead of going to parties like the rest of his peers, he was spending his free time creating formulas to create web-fluid and design the mechanics of his shooters. He’d been dumpster diving for months just trying to find the means to build them and throw together a suit just to defend Queens.

Who does that?

Peter Parker, apparently.

He’d just sent the kid home with thai food in hand for his aunt and a juice box in his backpack for the drive. They were currently staying at the compound for some needed R&R and it was great for the duo’s tech, but the drive home for Peter was something of a trek. Tony had already begun furnishing a room for the spiderling but had yet to ask May for permission to have the kid over for the weekend. Another thing he’d never admit: May scared him in a way no one else would. So, he’d wait to get on her good side, hence the thai that Peter talked so much about.

But now, without the constant chatter of the kid, the lab felt a little more barren. Even DUM-E seemed glum in his movements and chirps. He’d been working on a new projectile to use in combat. The thought made him feel like a bad guy again. Creating weapons of destruction was something he’d sworn to turn his back from all those years ago. He tried to justify it. He wanted to create a missile that, once it struck its mark, created a sort of chemical field around the target. The field would extend around three feet and turn any debris into ash, therefore keeping civilians below an ariel fight safe from falling projectiles. He figured that once they had that technology, the options were endless- projecting the field over a building, a city, hell, maybe even an entire country. This technology could rule nuclear threat useless.

But, he was stuck with a prototype.

An empty dream with no science or engineering to back it up. He simply didn’t have the means to create it. Not right now, at least. Even though he knew that the technology might not even be real right now, it didn’t stop it from getting in his head. With a sigh, the engineer dragged his hands down his face, slumping in his stool.

“Alright, FRIDAY,” He mumbled, pouring himself another glass of whiskey. “Set up another recording. Amp the nitric oxide up to eighty-five percent and let it roll.” He downed the glass and stood back.

“Sir, nitric oxide is highly corrosive and likely explosive at that rate. Are you sure you don’t want to move to a test lab for your experiment?” Tony scoffed.

“Since when have I ever used a test lab?” He pulled on his goggles and shrugged an old sweatshirt over his black tank top. “Let’s go. Rolling in three, two, one.”

He probably should have moved to a test lab.

The force of the explosion forced him back to the opposite wall of the lab, laying him out on the cold cement of the floor. Even worse, he heard and felt the sharp debris falling on the ground around him. He groaned before striking the floor with his fist. “Damnit!” he hissed. He wobbly made his way to his feet, leaning on the closest table as he watched DUM-E hastily attempt to put out his mess. He glanced up at one of the cameras planted on the ceiling.

“Are you still recording, FRIDAY?”

“Yes, sir.” She replied, always attentive.

“Good.” Tony reached for his workbench, pulling up a holograph of the project. “Look, kid.” He sighed, rolling his eyes, already thinking himself stupid for sending the kid a message like this. “You’re young and childlike and I want you to stay like that. But, one day, you’re gonna be able to do things that I’ve never been able to- that I’ll never be able to.” He dragged a hand down his face. “I don’t know,” he was mumbling. God, why was he mumbling? “I’ll be old and grey and you’ll be middle-aged and head of R&D blowing up some shit like I just did,” He gestured to the mess he’d just made. “But you’ll have technology and experience that I can’t even dream about. And you? You’ll be able to do this.” He launched into an animated explanation of the shell he’d just destroyed. He lost himself in the theory, the idea. He didn’t even realize that he’d spoken for fifteen minutes.

“And that’s the bare bones!” He concluded. “You’ll be able to do that much and so much more.” He softened, posture barely relaxing. “Kid, you’ll be able to do so much more than me. You’ll be so much better than me.” He poured himself another glass of his favorite poison before draining it slowly, reverently. He sighed, tension leaving from his shoulders.

“Look, Pete, I don’t give you enough credit, and I wanna break that cycle that my old man started.” He perched on the workbench behind him and watched as the auburn rum swirled around the glass. “But, one thing he said really stuck with me.” he thought back to the recording he’d found before he rediscovered the vibranium that Howard left behind. “He said, ‘You are the greatest thing that I’ve ever created.’” He smiled softly. “Too bad it came just a little too late, am I right?” He looked up then, right into the camera’s lens. “So, I’m going to try to expedite that delivery, just a little.”

“Peter, I am so proud of you. You- you are capable of doing so much. You’re what, fifteen? And you’re outperforming most of my best interns by miles. I know that I can leave all of this for you in full confidence that you will propel this company- this world- into the future.” He shook his head. “You can do so much. I hope you know that.”

He looked up to the spot in the corner where FRIDAY watched the room and gave a curt nod. The recording light dimmed out and he let himself properly fall onto his stool.

“You’re nothing like him, by the way.” Pepper’s voice floated in from the doorway. Tony jumped, hand flying to the reactor buried in his chest.

“Jesus, Pep. Warn a guy.” She chuckled, before walking behind the man, winding her arms around his shoulders.

“I’m serious, though.” She pressed on. “You’re such a good mentor to Peter. He really needs that kind of role model in his life.”

“Yeah?” He smiled, leaning his head back to look Pepper in the eye. She laughed, nodding.

“But, it won’t stay like that if you’re dead on your feet because you refuse to sleep.” Tony scoffed, pushing back from the table.

“I’m serious, Tony!” Pep laughed. “Come to bed.” She ran her hands down Tony’s chest. The man stilled them with his own. 

“Alright, alright. Ya got me.” She squeezed him tightly, pulling a chuckle from him. “Yeah, you go ahead though. I’ve gotta shut down around here.” Pepper pursed her lips.

“You’ve got five minutes.” She said before turning on your heel. He snorted.

“Or what?” He didn’t get an answer as she walked away. He fondly rolled his eyes before filing some papers away. “Hey Fri?” he asked the air.

“Yes, sir?” 

“Add that to the rainy day folder.” He turned out the lights before heading to bed. He had plenty of time to worry about the future. He could, at least, enjoy tonight.


End file.
